Natasha Lomas
Writer
The Latest from Natasha Lomas
Facebook Dating launch blocked in Europe after it fails to show privacy workings
Facebook has been left red-faced after being forced to call off the launch date of its dating service in Europe because it failed to give its lead EU data regulator enough advanced warning — inc
UK names its pick for social media ‘harms’ watchdog
The UK government has taken the next step in its grand policymaking challenge to tame the worst excesses of social media by regulating a broad range of online harms. As a result, it has named Ofcom, t
A list of MWC coronavirus cancellations so far: Nokia, Facebook, AT&T, Sprint, Intel now also staying away
Update: The GSMA has just announced it is cancelling MWC 2020. Our original report follows below for reference… Yet more big names are being added to the list of companies that are staying away
CurieMD is using telehealth to plug the menopause support gap
U.S. femtech startup CurieMD is offering menopause diagnosis and treatment prescription via a telehealth platform — beginning in California, where it launched late last year. Founder Dr. Leslie Mese
UK public sector failing to be open about its use of AI, review finds
A report into the use of artificial intelligence by the U.K.’s public sector has warned that the government is failing to be open about automated decision-making technologies which have the pote
Sony to pull out of MWC over coronavirus outbreak
Japanese electronics firm Sony is the latest phone maker to announce it’s withdrawing from the Mobile World Congress (MWC) tradeshow, citing concerns about the coronavirus outbreak. “As we
Samsung teases videocalling on its next foldable during the Oscars
It was South Korea’s — rather than Netflix’s — night at the Oscars, thanks to Bong Joon-ho’s biting class satire Parasite, which won a well-deserved best picture. But t
Index Fund’s portfolio is driving long-overdue innovation in femcare
U.K. startup Daye is rethinking female intimate care from a woman’s perspective, starting with a tampon infused with cannabidiol that tackles period pain. It’s also quietly demolishing the retrogr
Facebook’s use of Onavo spyware faces questions in EU antitrust probe — report
Facebook’s use of the Onavo spyware VPN app it acquired in 2013 — and used to inform its 2014 purchase of the then rival WhatsApp messaging platform — is on the radar of Europe’
Blackbox welfare fraud detection system breaches human rights, Dutch court rules
An algorithmic risk scoring system deployed by the Dutch state to try to predict the likelihood that social security claimants will commit benefits or tax fraud is a breach of human rights law, a cour
Qualcomm faces fresh competition scrutiny in Europe over RFFE chips for 5G
Qualcomm is facing fresh antitrust scrutiny from the European Commission, with the regulator raising questions about radio frequency front-end (RFFE) chips which can be used in 5G devices. The chipmak
Blossom Capital’s Louise Samet talks hormone tracking and femtech bets
Early-stage European VC firm Blossom Capital is fresh from closing a $185M fund— a big jump up on its prior close. The firm makes just a handful of investments per year, mostly at the Series A stage
Tinder’s handling of user data is now under GDPR probe in Europe
Dating app Tinder is the latest tech service to find itself under formal investigation in Europe over how it handles user data. Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC) has today announced a f
Google’s location tracking finally under formal probe in Europe
Google’s lead data regulator in Europe has finally opened a formal investigation into the tech giant’s processing of location data, more than a year after receiving a series of complaints
UK Council websites are letting citizens be profiled for ads, study shows
On the same day that a data ethics advisor to the UK government has urged action to regulate online targeting a study conducted by pro-privacy browser Brave has highlighted how Brits are being profil
Online targeting needs tighter controls, UK data ethics body suggests
A UK government advisory body on AI and data ethics has recommended tighter controls on how platform giants can use ad targeting and content personalization. Concerns about the largely unregulated eye
Twitter suspends notorious UK hate preacher for violating abuse rules
Twitter confirmed it has temporarily suspended the account of controversial right-wing commentator Katie Hopkins. The move was reported earlier by the BBC. Hopkins, a former MailOnline columnist and p
EU lawmakers take fresh aim at Apple’s Lightning connector with latest e-waste push
The European parliament has voted overwhelmingly for tougher action to reduce e-waste, calling for the Commission to come up with beefed up rules by July 2020. Specifically, the parliament wants the C
No pan-EU Huawei ban as Commission endorses 5G risk mitigation plan
The European Commission has endorsed a risk mitigation approach to managing 5G rollouts across the bloc — meaning there will be no pan-EU ban on Huawei. Rather it’s calling for Member Stat
Study of YouTube comments finds evidence of radicalization effect
Research presented at the ACM FAT 2020 conference in Barcelona today supports the notion that YouTube’s platform is playing a role in radicalizing users via exposure to far-right ideologies. The